[wmdwms]

Basements make since in parts of the country where the frost line is more than 3'. It makes almost no sense in cities like San Antonio unless it is for parking. Even then, it is usually cost prohibitive. However, San Antonio is a great place for high-rise construction because it is so easy to hit bedrock. As an example, if you look at the Manhattan skyline, there are very few super talls between downtown and midtown. This is because the soil between them does not have very much bearing capacity. You can still build a highrise there but it would be very expensive.